A brilliant four-under 30 front nine saw Tvesa Malik open up a massive five-shot lead at the end of the second round of the 16th leg of the Hero Womens Pro Golf Tour at The Palms Golf Club and Resort here on Thursday.
Tvesa was the only player to get into red numbers despite dropping three bogeys on the back nine after four birdies in the first half.
Her 69 took her tally to one-under 139, five shots ahead of veteran Smriti Mehra (71-73). Smriti also had a good front nine with three birdies against one bogey, but could not maintain the tempo on the back nine, where she had five bogeys including two on the last two holes. Smriti is four-over 144.
Ridhima Dilawari, still in the nascent stages of her pro career, shot 72 to make up for her first round 75 and is lying third at seven-over 147.
Amandeep Drall (75-74) is lying sole fourth at nine-over 149.
Tvesa, who has won three times this season and leads the order of merit by a comfortable margin, opened with a birdie on the Par-5 first and added a second on the third hole.
She got another couple of birdies on the par-4 sixth and Par-5 ninth that saw her get to the turn at four-under. Three bogeys on the back nine pulled her back, but she was still way ahead of the rest.
Siddhi Kapoor (78-73), Khushi Khanijau (78-73) and Gursimar Badwal (74-77) are tied-fifth at 151, while Neha Tripathi (75-77) is eighth. Afshan Fatima (78-75) at 153 and Millie Saroha (76-78) at 154 completed the top-10.
In the final round on Friday, Komal Chaudhary, Saaniya Sharma and Millie will go out in the first group to be followed by Afshan, Neha and Gursimar.
Khushi, Siddhi and Amandeep are in the penultimate threesome, while Ridhima, Smriti and Tvesa will tee off last in the lead group.
--IANS
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